Old Montreal in Montréal, Québec — Central Canada (French-Canadian)
Les Sœurs Grises de Montréal
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The Grey Nuns of Montréal
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 2024
1. Les Sœurs Grises de Montréal/The Grey Nuns of Montréal Marker
Erected 1999 by Commission des
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Religion & Religious Structures • Science & Medicine • Women. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1737.
Location. 45° 30.027′ N, 73° 33.28′ W. Marker is in Montréal, Québec. It is in Old Montreal. It is on Rue Saint-Pierre just west of Rue Marguerite-d'Youville, on the left when traveling west. The marker is mounted on a concrete pedestal on the north side of the Maison de Mère d'Youville. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 138 Rue Saint-Pierre, Montréal QC H2Y 2L7, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 2024
2. Les Sœurs Grises de Montréal/The Grey Nuns of Montréal Marker
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Mother Marie-Marguerite d'Youville and The Grey Nuns of Montréal
Also see . . .
1. Grey Nuns (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: The Sisters of Charity of Montreal, formerly called The Sisters(Submitted on March 23, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)of Charity of the Hôpital Général of Montreal and more commonly known as the Grey Nuns of Montreal, is a Canadian religious institute of Roman Catholic religious sisters, founded in 1737 by Marguerite d'Youville, a young widow.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 20, 20243. Les Sœurs Grises de Montréal/The Grey Nuns of Montréal MarkerThe marker is located along the sidewalk, on the north side of the historic Grey Nuns' Hospital.The congregation was founded when Marguerite d'Youville and three of her friends formed a religious association to care for the poor. They rented a small house in Montreal on 30 October 1738, taking in a small number of destitute persons. On 3 June 1753 the society received royal sanction, which also transferred to them the rights and privileges previously granted by letters patent in 1694 to the Frères Hospitaliers de la Croix et de Saint-Joseph, known after their founder as the Frères Charon.
The city residents mocked the nuns by calling them "les grises" – a phrase meaning both "the grey women" and "the drunken women", in reference to the color of their attire and d'Youville's late husband, François-Magdeleine You d’Youville (1700–1730), a notorious bootlegger. Marguerite d'Youville and her colleagues adopted the particular black and beige dress of their religious institute in 1755: despite a lack of grey colour, they kept the nickname.
2. The Grey Nuns of Montréal: Our History.
Excerpt: Marguerite Dufrost de Lajemmerais, the widow of François Youville, and the three ladies who were helping her with her charitable work among the poor decided to consecrate themselves completely to this task by welcoming anyone in need. According to the testimonies of the first sisters, this consecration was made in secret on 31 December 1737. During this period, there was no one to take care of women in difficulty, some of whom were disabled, widowed or without family support. This problem was serious because the General Hospital only welcomed men. It is no accident that the first person welcomed by Marguerite d’Youville in the autumn of 1737 was a blind woman in her sixties, the widow Françoise Auzon.(Submitted on March 23, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on May 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 329 times since then and 104 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 23, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
